Personal papers and items belonging to William "Billy" Zadock Middleton Wilson; his wife, Roxie Ann Wood Wilson; and some children, particularly daughters Bertha and Ernestine. Wide range of items include business records, personal records, clothing, and personal effects ranging from the 1880s through the 1930s.
Subject
W. Z. M. Wilson was the owner of a "doctor's buggy" carriage in the GHM collection (item 2009.19.1). He was a well-established farmer in the Reidville area, with cotton becoming the foundation of his wealth. He was active in business in Greer during the period of 1880-1925, and kept many of his business records from that time.
Highlights of the collection identified so far include four previously-unknown issues of the Greer Observer; transactional records of early Greer businesses (some previously unknown) from the 1880s and 1890s, including the signatures of D. D. Davenport and Frank Burgiss; bankruptcy and other documents related to People's State Bank, Planters, and Bank of Greer; and typically-ephemeral household items.
Date
1880-1925
Table Of Contents
Group 1: Billy Wilson Papers
Group 2: Billy Wilson Papers: Family
Group 3: Audrey Davis
Group 4: Textiles
Provenance
Five chests of clothing and documents were stored in an attic on the Wilson property. The building was damaged in Hurricane Helene in 2024, and the chests were given to descendant Kala Kennemore.
Accession Number
This collection falls under 2024.16.n.n. (2024.16.0 is this finding aid).
Accession Date
Materials were first brought October 11, 2024, and arrived in multiple deliveries over the next few weeks.
Accession Creator
David Lovegrove
Depositor
Kala Kennemore; M. Hendrix Kennemore (son); Kelsi Kennemore (daughter). Kala Kennemore is a great-granddaughter of the Wilsons through their daughter (her grandmother) Evangeline.
Pennsylvania Threshermen & Farmers' Mutual Casualty Insurance Company blue form for Roy L. Lister, Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability purchased
1: Envelope from Whitmire Bros to W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, SC
2: Scrap Paper with 998 written on it
3: Receipt, Mr Wilson paid $12.10 to The Pelham Store; Miscellaneous writing on the back
4: Receipt, Bales of Cotton sold from W.Z.M. Wilson to W.R. Bailey, Greers, S.C
5: Receipt, Bales of Cotton sold from W.Z.M. Wilson to D.D. Davenport, Greer's, S.C
6: October 1889 Calendar; Miscellaneous writing on the back
7: Receipt, The Western Union Telegraph Company Form, Bales of Cotton sold by W.Z.M. Wilson to W.W. Burgiss; Miscellaneous writing on the back
8: Written Letter from Whitmire Bros to W.Z.M. Wilson, Greenville, S.C
9: W.Z.M. Wilson Real Estate Valuation Post Card by the Office of County Auditor, Edmund Bacon County Auditor, Spartanburg, S.C.
10: Receipt, W.Z.M. Wilson paid $1.30 for The Spartanburg Herald Subscription, Spartanburg, S.C
11: Payment Promise Note, W.Z.M. Wilson promised to pay $24.17 to John Merryman & Co. for fertilizer, Riedville, S.C; Miscellaneous writing and purple stamp on the back
12: Receipt, W.Z.M. Wilson paid $26.10 to J.W. Baker, Batesville, S.C.; Miscellaneous writing
13: Two Receipts stuck together, Bales of Cotton sold by W.Z.M. Wilson to W.R. Bailey; sold to Frank Burgiss, Greer's, S.C.
14: Receipt, Bales of Cotton sold by W.Z.M. Wilson to Walker, Fleming & Sloan, Spartanburg, S.C., purple stamped; Miscellaneous writing on the back
15: Scrap paper with miscellaneous writing on front and back
16: Statement, W.Z.M. Wilson bought from J.W. Baker, Batesville, S.C.; Miscellaneous writing on the back
17: Receipt, W.Z.M. Wilson paid for the transportation of articles by Richmond & Danville Railroad CO., Dr., Greer's, S.C.; Miscellaneous writing on the back
1. Envelope from Duane H. Nash, Millington, Morris Co., N.J. to Mr. W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, Spartanburg Co., S.C.; Back says Bills & Receipts
2. Receipt: W.Z.M. Wilson paid $50.45 to the Office of Whitmire Bros., Greenville, S.C.
3. Office of J.W. Baker customer annual circular, Batesville, S.C.
4. Envelope from The Higganum Mfg. Corporation, Higganum, Conn. to W.Z.M. Wilson, Esq., Tippin, S.C.
5. Letter from Whitmire Bros. to W.Z.M. Wilson, Greenville, S.C.
6. Envelope from Whitmire Bros., Greenville S.C., to Mr W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, S.C.
7. Envelope from Southern Farm Tool Co., Atlanta, G.A., to Mr. W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, Spartanburg, S.C.
8. Envelope to Mr. W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, S.C.
9. Envelope to Mr. W.Z.M. Wilson, Tippin, S.C.; Miscellaneous writing on front and back
10. Letter from J.T. Wood trying to buy from W.Z.M. Wilson, Reidville, S.C.
11. Receipt: W.Z.M. Wilson paid $2 to The Baptist Courier
